Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks Release New Track "Lariat"

After making a live return last week in Portland, Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks have officially unveiled the first single off their upcoming album Wig Out at Jagbags.

Malkmus told Rolling Stone that he was preparing for an epic year following the release of the new album. “When you do an album, you go down a rabbit hole of you don’t know where you’re going,” Malkmus said. “We got a little more of a 1966, tighten-it-up [thing]. It’s coming out in January, so it’ll be, like, 12 months of domination. Sorry for the other bands.”

The former Pavement frontman also released a statement giving an intricate description on what exactly his new album will sound like, citing “inactivity” and “the NBA” as influences. “Wig Out at Jagbags is inspired by Cologne, Germany, Mark Von Schlegell, Rosemarie Trockel, Von Spar and Jan Lankisch, Can and Gas; Stephen-Malkmus-imagined Weezer/Chili Peppers, Sic Alps, UVA in the late 80’s, NYRB, Aroma Charlottenburg, inactivity, Jamming, Indie guys tring to sound Memphis, Flipper, Pete Townshend, Pavement, The Joggers, The NBA and home life in the 2010’s…”

In addition to announcing the new album, Malkmus & The Jicks have released a new lyric video for their track “Lariat.” The track features the rattling-style of usual Malkmus tunes. “Some of the imagery is taking from a time of 1988-1991,” he explains. “It’s an era of silence, that people don’t really talk about. There was maybe Galaxie 500, maybe trails of Jesus and Mary Chain. It’s not a time that’s been said, ‘This was an amazing time.’”